199. AUTHOR DAVID LEAF ON THE BEACH BOYS’ TODAY! (PART 1)

Welcome to Season 2 of “The Beach Boys: And Your Dreams Come True!” Sub-titled “Icarus Ascending,” this season focuses solely on the year 1965 because, well…a whole heck of a lot can happen in that short a timespan if you’re Brian Wilson edging ever closer to your peak. The Beach Boys’ 8th LP, Today!, is tackled by none other than author/filmmaker David Leaf, who’s long held the belief, despite the reams he’s written on “Pet Sounds”—not to mention his forthcoming “Smile” oral history—that “Today!” is his favorite of their records. Tune in and find out why.

Here’s just a few of the many things that David discusses with Discograffiti in this podcast:

• How David’s Brian Wilson fascination began;
• Revealing details about his brand-new book about “Smile,” and how he came to write it;
• The chaotic steps leading to Today’s creation and release;
• Whether Brian’s nervous breakdown was real or him resorting to extreme behavior to get his way;
• And the role that marijuana played during the “Today!” era in Brian’s compositional style and arrangements.

Listen: linktr.ee/discograffiti

I support a wife and a six-year-old son with Discograffiti as my sole source of income.

If you’re a Beach Boys superfan like me, you’ll want The Director’s Cut of this episode. It’s ad-free and features 10 additional minutes of essential material. Purchase it as a one-off, get the entire Season 1 Series as a bundle (listed under Collections), or better yet…

Subscribe to Discograffiti’s Patreon and receive a ceaseless barrage (4 shows a week!) of must-hear binge-listening. And now with our 2025 Patreon Membership Drive, you’ll also get an episode all about YOU and a FREE copy of Metal Machine Muzak at the Lieutenant Tier or higher: Patreon.com/Discograffiti

To Pre-Order David Leaf’s “SMiLE: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Brian Wilson” Book (4/15/25 release):

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